This story contains sex between minor boys and teen-agers. If such things
offend you, or you are not at least 18 years of age, then please don't read
on. This story is not true, but who knows, maybe some day it will be.

CHAPTER 35

Just Out for a Walk

by Douglas DD

Alex saw the two Shkah men reach into their saddle bags. One pulled out
some arrows and a cross bow. The boys turned and headed back into the
woods, ducking into some high grass. The Shkah started heading into the
part of the woods they had come out of. The boys lay very still in the deep
grass. The Shkah with the bow pulled out a long knife and started swiping
at the grass. They weren't sure if the boys had gone into the woods or
into the grass. If it had just been Hakaanen boys they would have ridden
off, but they were sure that there were some round eared boys with the
group. That could only mean they were being followed and that the followers
would have to be eliminated.

One of Shkah was getting close to where Travis was lying. Alex had taken a
place about ten feet behind Travis, with Mike beside him. They each pulled
a fully charged laser gun from their back packs. The setting was heavy
stun. Neither boy was ready in his heart to kill, but they would do
anything else to get away. On Earth both boys had played laser tag, but
with guns way different from the rifles in their hands. Those guns couldn't
hurt or kill.

The Shkah was almost on top of Travis. Alex aimed. This wasn't laser tag,
this was real. He fired and a bright red beam of light shot out, hitting
the Shkah in the ribs. He fell hard to the ground. The other Shkah turned
and Mike fired. Mike didn't have the experience that Alex had, but he was
steady. His first shot missed. He fired off a second which hit the Shkah
right in the chest knocking him off of his unicorn.

The two boys grabbed their backpacks and got up. Travis, Jeremy, and Bandar
got up right behindthem. They didn't stop to check on the fallen
Shkah. They didn't know how long stun would last. All they knew was the
two Shkah men were unconscious and they were getting away while they could.

They headed for the unicorns. They could see a trail leading up into the
hills and figured that the Shkah men came down that trail. Which meant that
maybe Ryan and Drew were taken up the trail. Their first idea was to take
the unicorns, but they knew that five of them wouldn't fit too well on two
unicorns. They decided to chase the unicorns off by stinging them with the
lowest stun stetting on the laser guns. Each unicorn got a quick zap on the
butt, about what a whip would feel like in a race, and they headed off
toward the west. Now at least if they were going to be followed up into the
hills they were on equal footing with the Shkah men. They put their packs
on and headed up into the hills, hoping that Ryan and Drew were up there
somewhere.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Robert Charles looked at the two surprised boys in front of him and
laughed. "You thought you were rid of me, didn't you? Well, here I am. And
just what are you doing up here in the middle of nowhere?"

"We were just out for a walk," Ryan said with bravado, trying keep his
voice steady. He wondered if Robert Charles was behind their being
kidnapped, but he wasn't going to give anything away. He saw the blue green
hair on Robert Charles and he knew that somehow he had gotten involved the
Hakaan men who had kidnapped them.

Vordkan looked at the two round eared boys. He was wondering what they were
doing up here.

He was even wondering if they were the kidnapped boys, although one looked
bigger than they said he would be. And if they were the kidnapped boys,
what were they doing here, unless somehow they had escaped?

Ryan was trying to think of some kind of story to tell Robert
Charles. Maybe he would let them go if they worked on him hard enough.

"So you brought the little crashed friend with you, I see."

Drew knew who Robert Charles was, and he remembered he didn't like him
much. He was one reason he and Drake quit going to the games room. He
seemed like a big, loud bully.

Robert Charles kept on talking. "It's a long walk up to here. How about
giving me the real story. You guys decide to leave those fag assholes?" He
looked at Drew. "Did Douglas try sticking it up your little round ass?"

Ryan was about to say something when they heard the sound of hooves. It was
two Shkah men on unicorns. Ryan's heart sank when he saw who they
were. They were two of the kidnappers.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Douglas and Scooter were sitting up side by side on Scooter's hospital
bed. Scooter was looking better already. His cheeks had color now. Plus he
was incredibly hungry.

When the nurse came in to look at him Scooter asked her for breakfast for
him and Douglas both. She was surprised to hear him talk to her in
Haakan. She didn't think any of the boys knew how to speak it, except for
the little bit that Mattoo knew. Scooter and Douglas decided it was time to
give out Scooter's secret, because they were going to have to do a lot of
communicating and Bandar wasn't there.

While they waited, Scooter told Douglas that Robert Charles was
around. That he had gotten blood from him and how when he found that out he
had gotten very frightened and tried to run to find him.

"I think I was delirious," Scooter said.

"Well, I don't know if you noticed last night, my love, but the kid who
gave you your first blood was in the room."

"Robert Charles was in the room? What's going...."

"No, no, my sweet. Robert Charles didn't give you blood."

"Then who did?"

"Matthew."

"Matthew? Matthew is alive? He's here? How?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but we will find out when he gets down here. He
saved your life twice."

Douglas went on to tell Scooter about Matthew giving him blood and about
Matthew finding Scooter behind the bush in the courtyard.

"You saved my life in that yard, my love, and I didn't do a thing. I
couldn't even find you when I was a few feet away. I'm so sorry." Douglas
rubbed Scooter's shoulder and side.

"You did everything. You saved me. You're love brought me back. I felt
it. Maybe you didn't find me behind a bush, but you brought me back from a
darker place. I love you." Scooter placed a big kiss on Douglas's lips.

"I hope nobody minds the stains we left on the sheets this morning,"
Douglas said.

"From what I've seen around here, they're used to it." Scooter lay another
kiss on Douglas just as the nurse came in.

The nurse brought both boys breakfast. They sat up to eat and while they
were eating the room started to fill. Matthew and Enghar came in
first. Then Jim and Drake followed by Stevie and Jordan. Stevie pushed
Jordan into the room ahead of him.

They found chairs and talked some. Scooter told Matthew how awesome it was
he was alive and thanked him for doing what he did to save his
life. Scooter also translated for Enghar, who was amazed somebody could
speak Haakan so well.

Douglas told Matthew what happened since the sandstorm. He told him how in
the wind the tent got buried, how they had tried so hard to find him, but
the wind had changed how everything looked. They had yelled and dug and
hoped he might hear them, but there was nothing. And they couldn't find
him. They only had so much water, and every hour was crucial. They had no
idea where the tent was. Matthew remembered having heard voices when he was
trapped in the dark tent. They were all fighting tears as the story was
told. He told him of how they found Drew and Drake and about exiling Robert
Charles. He told him about the horse shaped rock and how it led them to the
green valley.

"You not only saved Scooter, Matthew, you saved all of us. Green horsey
brought us here. Without you we would still be on the "Moonduster" slowly
dying. I'm just sorry it cost you so much to see the valley and the rock."

Douglas went on, telling of the trip down the cliff and of them meeting
Bandar and his friends. He then told of the shooting of Scooter and of
Ryan, Drew, and Drake being kidnapped.

"I think they were trying to shoot me, not Scooter. And I think they wanted
Drew and Drake and Ryan got in the way. And I truly believe Robert Charles
is involved with this somehow."

Matthew then told his story. He told how the tent started collapsing in the
wind like somebody was knocking down the poles. But the last one didn't
fall all the way. He said he heard voices but thought it was all a dream
and he couldn't answer. They all guessed that after they left, the wind
that exposed the last part of the tent that was even partly
standing. Matthew said that if that part hadn't stayed up he would have
been crushed.

Then Matthew told about being found by the Haakan man and of his trip
back. He told of the doctor fixing his leg and of his ending up living
there. And he told of Enghar, what he had done for him, and how much he
loved him. Jordan glared at both of them when he said that.

With Scooter able to translate they found out a lot about the Hakaanen, how
they got to Inferno, why everything was falling apart, about their
families, and about how much boys all loved each other as well as girls
loving each other. And he told them how much he loved his Mattoo, which
made Jordan glare again.

Matthew told Douglas what was going on when he saw him ready to hit Jordan
with his crutch. Then everybody glared at Jordan.

"I wonder how the trackers are doing," Jim said.

Douglas frowned. "There is no way to find out. I forgot to give them one of
the radios. I was so stupid, but with all this Scooter stuff, I didn't have
a chance to say anything."

"But they do have a radio." Stevie said.

"They do?"

"Yeah. I put two in the red back pack. I thought you knew."

"No. Then get me mine and let's see if they left any messages. It's in my
backpack."

Jim brought his backpack over. Douglas took out his radio and turned it on
but there were no messages.

"Did you tell them you put it in?"

"No, I was like you. It all got confusing and I forgot. I don't even know
whose backpack it was."

"They should have seen the radios by now. Well, let me see if I can raise
them."

Douglas tried to raise the tracking crew, but nothing happened. He tried
three more times.

Nothing.

Enghar started talking, but there was no translation from Scooter. Douglas
looked at him and saw that he was sound asleep. They had worn him out. He
was probably still weak. He looked so cute sound asleep.

Douglas crept out of the bed and he and the boys left Scooter to rest. They
went up into the third floor lounge. Douglas tried one more time to raise
the tracking crew. Nothing. Something had to be seriously wrong.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Alex was leading the way up the hill. After him came Jeremy, then Travis,
Mike, and last was Bandar, wearing his red backpack. He kept hearing a
buzzing sound in it. Finally he stopped to try to figure out what it
was. When he stopped the rest of them stopped too. Bandar dug through his
pack but didn't find anything he didn't expect.

Alex and Mike wondered what he was looking for, but the buzzing had stopped
by the time they got to it. Bandar tried to tell them why he stopped but he
couldn't make himself understood. Alex and Mike shrugged and smiled and
started going again. They wanted to get as far from the Shkah men as they
could, then they would start thinking about where they should go. It looked
like a long way up the hill, but only Bandar knew how far. He'd been up
this trail before.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ryan and Drew were each put up on a unicorn. The Shkah men were arguing
about something, but they couldn't tell what. Neither could Robert Charles.

"We should take them back to the village. They won't be looked for there."

"They escaped once already," another Shkah said. "They are more secure in
the village."

"You forget why we kidnapped them," another said. "It wasn't to keep them
prisoner, it was to test Robbachass. To see where his loyalties are for our
attack on the Haakanen."

"He's right," said one of the Shkah who did the kidnapping. "We take them
right to the caves and get it over with."

The first one thought about it and agreed. They would go to the caves. And
since the round eared boy was already here, they could take care of things
that night. They had been thinking the next night, but everybody was here,
so why wait. It was agreed. The test would be tonight. One of the moons
would be full, so the light would be perfect. Robbachass would show who he
was loyal to, the round ears or the Shkah. And they all hoped he would
pass, because they could see already that he had some of the attitude
needed to help them in the war coming up. But he had to show he was with
them one hundred percent. And now was his time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Douglas woke from his nap. It was daylight out, but the room was dark
because the curtains were drawn. He looked around him. Everybody was asleep
napping. It had been a long couple of days. He got up and left the room and
headed to the elevator. He took it down to the first floor and headed for
Scooter's room.

Scooter was awake when Douglas got into his room. Douglas hopped on the bed
and kissed Scooter.

"God, I love you, Douglas."

Douglas kissed Scooter deeper and harder. "God, I love you, Scooter."

The doctor came in and smiled. They broke their kiss and the doctor
examined Scooter while Douglas lay on the bed watching.

"You're looking better," the doctor said. "The wound's infection is going
down. You're going to have a scar where it hit you, but otherwise I think
you're going to recover just fine."

Douglas kissed Scooter again. The room started filling as the boys came
down to join them.

Douglas told them the news and they all smiled. All but Jordan, anyway.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was late afternoon when the Shkah men, Vordkan, Robert Charles, Ryan,
and Drew got to the caves. The caves had been a place Shkah and Hakaanen
both went to, just to explore or have fun and they were huge. Not all of
them had been explored yet and families would come up to look at them. It
was one place where Hakaanen and Shkah would be in the same place and get
along. Maybe it was because it was families.

The Shkah men got out food and drink. They fed themsekves along with the
boys. They figured the two kidnapped boys might as well have a last
meal. Ryan and Drew ate fast. It was their first meal since dinner the day
before. They didn't know it might be their last.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The trackers were on the plateau. The sun was setting. They got out some
food and some water. Bandar was digging in his pack when he heard the
buzzing again. Travis heard it too.

"That sounds like one of our radios. Let me see." He looked in Bandar's
pack, but didn't see anything. Then he saw that there was a pocket on the
inside. He unzipped it and there were two of their radio handsets. He
pushed the receive button.

"...las calling trackers...This is Douglas calling trackers.."

Travis pushed the send button. "This is Travis. Hello, Douglas." He heard a
big cheer at the other end. "Sounds like we were missed."

"Travis! Where are you guys! Where were you guys! We thought something
terrible happened."

"Well, we didn't know we had radios."

"You didn't know? Stevie put them right into one of the packs."

"Yeah, he put them into Bandar's pack and Bandar never saw them. We just
now heard them buzz. We knew what it was, but he didn't. Anyway, tell us
what's going on."

Douglas told him that Scooter was okay, which made them all happy. He told
them about finding Matthew, which totally amazed them, especially Mike.

"My little brother is alive?" he said into the radio.

"Alive and very well," Douglas said.

"Can I talk to him?"

"Sure."

Douglas put Matthew on the radio. "Hey," he said shyly.

"Hey, little bro, how's it going? I love you and am so happy you're alive!"

"I love you big bro." Hearing Matthew, who he thought was dead, say that
was too much for Mike. He had been close to crying, and that set him
off. The tears started flowing.

After a long silence, Matthew said, "Are you there?"

"You bet I am, I...I..I'm just so happy I have my little bro back. I'll be
seeing you soon!"

"Bye big bro," Matthew said, and he handed the phone to Douglas so he could
wipe away his tears.

Mike told Douglas about the battle with the Shkah men and how they were at
the top of the trail up into the hills. But now they didn't know where to
go.

"I'm glad you didn't kill them," Douglas said. "It proves to everybody that
we're better than they are. They were ready to kill you I'm sure. They sure
were trying with Scooter and me."

"We thought about killing them, but you're right. We have to keep moving
somewhere, though, or they will catch up to us. We just don't know where to
go, and we can't communicate with Bandar that well to get ideas."

"Hang on a sec," Douglas said. He talked to Scooter, who talked to
Enghar. Enghar then said something to Scooter. Scooter told Douglas to have
Bandar get on the radio and then to give the radio to Enghar. He had some
things to say.

The boys at both ends listened to Enghar and Bandar talk, but only Scooter
had any idea of what they were talking about.

After the good-byes were said the boys set out across the plateau. Bandar
was in the lead now after Douglas told the group to follow him. They walked
until close to dark when they decided it was time to eat and set up camp.

While they were setting up they saw something amazing. Off to the north
there was a quick bright flash of light and they the sky close to the
horizon sparkled briefly with all kinds of color. They had no idea what
they had seen, but it was beautiful. Bandar knew what it was, but he didn't
know how to explain it so his round eared friends would understand. They
human boys laid out their sleeping bags wondering what it was they had
seen. Mike had the first watch, looking in the direction they had come
from, watching in case the Shkah men they had fought were able to catch up
to them. In the morning they would get up to look for their missing
friends.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jordan was sitting on his cot, bored and angry. He was tired of being
ignored and looked down on. The way Matthew greeted him wasn't right after
what he did for him on the "Moonduster". Of course he forgot about what he
did to Matthew on the "Starkeeper." He was about so say, fuck it, and just
sleep when Douglas came into the lounge.

This was going to be their last night at the hospital. Douglas had no idea
where they were going to be tomorrow. He just knew they were all going to
be together no matter what. They would not be separated this time and with
Scooter's help he would make that very clear. But one of the things they
needed to be together strong was for Jordan to be with them on their
side. He promised himself he was going to talk to Jordan, and now was the
time.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ankyol was the oldest of the Shkah men. Even though his mane was blue and
green, his hair was almost all gray. He motioned to Robert Charles, pointed
to the boys, and said, "Gragh," the Haakan word for kill. Robert Charles
didn't know what Ankyol said, so he shrugged. Vordkan understood. It was
more than he expected to happen. He thought Robbachass might have to take
them to the desert and lose them, or something close to that. He didn't
expect the order to kill his own kind. They were going to give Robbachass
the ultimate test. And Vordkan knew in his heart that if Robbachass failed
this test, he would be the one to die.

Ankyol then pointed to the boys and made a slitting motion across his
throat. That Robert Charles understood. He picked up a laser rifle, pointed
it at Ryan, and faked shooting it. Then Shkah men all smiled and shook
their heads yes. Then Ankyol took the rifle from Robert Charles's hand and
set it down. He took Robert Charles's knife from his belt and put in his
hand. Then he made the throat slitting motion again. Robert Charles nodded.

Ankyol motioned to Robert Charles and led him to the entrance of the
cave. Two other Shkah men dragged the boys behind them and Vordkan followed
them all. They were led up a path to a hill over the entrance to the
caves. There were two poles set up there. Ankyol shined his lantern on the
poles. He tied Drew to one of them, his hands tied behind his back and
around the pole. Then he did the same to Ryan.

While this was going on Robert Charles noticed a very slight colored
twinkling glow were the little valley was. Every now and then there would
be a a blue, or red, or green, or yellow light flashing on and off real
fast. He was wondering what it was and what was happening in the valley. He
noticed that Shkah were looking at it but didn't seem upset about it or
anything.

The men started to leave. Only Robin, Vordkan, and the two tied up boys
stayed. Ankyol stopped and waved at Vordkan to follow him. Then he made a
slitting motion at his throat again.

Vordkan walked down the hill thinking, this is wrong. They can't really
mean for Robbachass to slit the throats of two boys who hadn't done
anything. Maybe the test was that he wasn't supposed to kill them, just
frighten them. When he got to the cave entrance he asked what it was
Robbachass was REALLY supposed to do. Ankyol looked at Vordkan with an evil
grin and made a slitting motion again. Vordkan's mane stood straight out as
a chill ran down his spine.

Robert Charles looked straight at the two boys. He held the knife in his
hand. Thinking about whacking Douglas, or Mike, or Alex with a sword in
some kind of battle or something was one thing. But these two had never
really done anything to him. Well, okay, Ryan probably voted against him
and he didn't ever stand up for him that he could remember. And when he was
exiled he never heard Ryan stand up for him.

Then he looked at little Drew. He was in the lower school. He wasn't on the
"Moonduster." Why should he hurt him? He never voted or did anything
against him. Okay, he heard that Drew and his twin didn't like coming to
the games room and he was one of the "big kids" who was supposed to be a
problem. But still, he was a little kid maybe nine or ten. Robert Charles
wanted his first kill to be some kind of a challenge, not two boys tied up,
one of them not even a teenager yet.

He could see, even in the dark that they both were scared. His test was
simple. Was he going to be loyal to the Shkah who saved him, to Vordkan who
was becoming his friend, even if he was a bit queer, to the girl he met in
the barn? Shit, he thought, to her? I fucked her and don't even remember
her name. Or should he be loyal to two boys he hardly knew and who didn't
like him? In the end the real question was, which decision would give him
the most power - untying them and running off with them to the big valley
they had come from, where he would end up under Douglas one more time,
under the boy he hated so much? Or was the way to power to go to battle
with the Shkah, because he knew that war was coming. Even without knowing
the language, he watched warriors practice, they went to get the laser
rifles, and he saw them blow up the "Moonduster". He figured they did it to
impress him and to make sure nobody else could use anything from it.

So, again the question went through his mind.....was he going to be loyal
to his own kind and help them escape, or was he going to murder two boys,
one his age and one almost five years younger so he could try to find
power. A voice shook him from his thoughts.

"What are you going to do, Robert Charles?" Ryan asked, trying hard to
sound brave. "You going to show how brave you are by slicing the throats of
two boys tied up in front of you? Going to show your bravery and
leadership?" Ryan was trying to sound tough. He was trying to make a
challenge to Robert Charles. But it was all he could do to fight off tears.

Drew wasn't even fighting. They were pouring down his face. "I don't want
to die...please...." he sobbed.

Robert Charles looked at them. Ryan with his bravado. Drew, a frightened
little boy. He dreamed of killing his enemies in a fight, of showing
Douglas, Alex, and Mike who was the bravest and the toughest and the most
powerful. But killing these two boys was cold blooded murder. Was getting
power worth taking their lives? Did he really want to have green and blue
hair and be loyal to a group of aliens who were so different he couldn't
understand what they said or understand half their customs?

He felt his long green and blue hair. He thought of Vordkan dying it, of
Vordkan in bed with him making love to him. Shit, he thought, not making
love. Fags did that. Fucking him is what he did. But it was so good, he
thought. And the Shkah would take him into the battle he wanted and make a
man out of him, not that he really wasn't one already. He was the true
leader of the "Starkeeper" boys, and he was going to prove it by beating
them in battle. And to do that he would have to pass his test.

"Guys, I'm sorry I have to do this. It's nothing personal." Maybe if he
thought of it that way it wouldn't be so bad. Drew was shaking he was
crying so hard. He didn't even have tears left. Ryan felt his tears
coming. Even Robert Charles couldn't go so low as to walk up to them and
cut them with his knife.

Robert Charles decided the kindest thing he could do would be to take care
of Drew first and not make him suffer by watching Ryan die. He thought of
the Shkah down below in the caves and wondered why they weren't up here?
Were they too cowardly to watch the two boys die? He knew Vordkan wanted
to stay, which meant a lot to him. But the Shkah men, it was like they were
willing to have him use the knife as long as they weren't around. Oh well,
nobody said he had to like them. All he had to do was use them to regain
his lost power over Douglas and his misguided followers.

He walked up behind Drew, his little naked body shaking with cold and
fear. He put the knife blade up against the little boy's throat. He
remembered doing this same thing on the "Moonduster," putting a knife to a
throat, getting a drop of blood out if it. Robert Charles was surprised
that his whole thing was getting him hard and excited. He put the knife
down a second and took a deep breath. This was it. And now that it was so
close, it was exciting him. Suddenly he wanted to do it. It really was
power! Power of the biggest kind, the power of life and death.

"I'm really, really, sorry, Drew, but I figure you'll be ending up in a
nicer place than this fucking planet." He put the knife back up to Drew's
throat and the boy screamed at the top of his voice.

Next: Chapter 35 Sabotage

Author's Note: Drake and Drew were late additions, not originally planned
in the story. I got to here and had to wonder if Drew would be making an
early exit now. I suppose you're all wondering the same thing. The
question is, how low will Robert Charles stoop in his quest for power?